Association football

==International competitions==
{{main|List of association football competitions}}
[[File:Ousmane Dembélé World Cup Trophy.jpg|alt=|thumb|upright|The [[FIFA World Cup]] is the largest international competition in football and the world's most viewed sporting event]]
International competitions in association football principally consist of two varieties: competitions involving representative national teams or those involving clubs based in multiple nations and national leagues. ''International football'', without qualification, most often refers to the former. In the case of international club competition, it is the country of origin of the clubs involved, not the nationalities of their players, that renders the competition international in nature.

The major international competition in football is the [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], organised by FIFA. This competition has taken place every four years since [[1930 FIFA World Cup|1930]], with the exception of the 1942 and 1946 tournaments, which were cancelled because of [[World War II]]. As of 2022, over 200 national teams compete in qualifying tournaments within the scope of continental confederations for a place in the finals.<ref>{{cite news |title=FIFA World Cup 2022: Brazil, Germany, England among confirmed teams for Qatar |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/fifa-world-cup-2022-qualified-football-teams-list |access-date=18 September 2023 |publisher=Olympics |date=14 June 2022 |first1= Aarish |last1=Ansari |archive-date=27 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220927232418/https://olympics.com/en/news/fifa-world-cup-2022-qualified-football-teams-list |url-status=live }}</ref> The finals tournament, held every four years, involved 32 national teams (expanding to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament) competing over a four-week period.<ref>{{cite news |last=Mayorquin |first=Orlando |date=19 November 2022 |title=How does the World Cup work? The ultimate soccer showcase, explained |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2022/11/19/2022-qatar-world-cup-group-knockout-stage-explained/8083358001/ |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=1 September 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902031535/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2022/11/19/2022-qatar-world-cup-group-knockout-stage-explained/8083358001/ |url-status=live }}</ref>{{efn|name=teams number|The number of competing teams has varied over the history of the competition.}} The World Cup is the most prestigious association football tournament as well as the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world, exceeding even the [[Olympic Games]]; the cumulative audience of all matches of the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] was estimated to be 26.29 billion with an estimated 715.1 million people watching the [[2006 FIFA World Cup Final|final match]], one-ninth of the entire population of the planet.<ref name="2006coverage">{{cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/marketing/news/newsid=111247/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120073325/http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/marketing/news/newsid=111247/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 January 2012 |title=2006 FIFA World Cup broadcast wider, longer and farther than ever before |publisher=FIFA |date=6 February 2007 |access-date=11 October 2009}}</ref><ref>Tom Dunmore, [https://books.google.com/books?id=9j1wbp2t1usC&pg=PA235 Historical Dictionary of Soccer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107065458/https://books.google.com/books?id=9j1wbp2t1usC&pg=PA235 |date=7 January 2017 }}, p. 235, quote "The World Cup is now the most-watched sporting event in the world on television, above even the Olympic Games."</ref><ref>Stephen Dobson and John Goddard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=GxyG0XXdvR4C&pg=PA407 The Economics of Football] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107004535/https://books.google.com/books?id=GxyG0XXdvR4C&pg=PA407 |date=7 January 2017 }}, p. 407, quote "The World Cup is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world: the estimated cumulative television audience for the 2006 World Cup in Germany was 26.2&nbsp;billion, an average of 409&nbsp;million viewers per match."</ref><ref>Glenn M. Wong, [https://books.google.com/books?id=qEELS7T_Tm0C&pg=PA144 The Comprehensive Guide to Careers in Sports] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107005802/https://books.google.com/books?id=qEELS7T_Tm0C&pg=PA144 |date=7 January 2017 }}, p. 144, quote "The World Cup is the most-watched sporting event in the world. In 2006, more than 30&nbsp;billion viewers in 214 countries watched the World Cup on television, and more than 3.3&nbsp;million spectators attended the 64 matches of the tournament."</ref> The 1958 World Cup saw the emergence of [[Pelé]] as a global sporting star, a period that coincided with "the explosive spread of television, which massively amplified his presence everywhere".<ref>{{cite news |last=Goldblatt |first=David |title=Pelé set the standards by which footballing greatness is judged |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/29/pele-football-greatness-brazil-global-star |access-date=18 September 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=5 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005082607/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/29/pele-football-greatness-brazil-global-star |url-status=live }}</ref> The current champions are [[Argentinian national football team|Argentina]], who won their third title at the [[2022 FIFA World Cup|2022 tournament]] in Qatar.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mcnulty |first1=Phil |date=18 December 2022 |title=Argentina win dramatic World Cup final on penalties |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63932622 |access-date=19 December 2022 |work=BBC Sport |publisher=BBC |archive-date=18 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221218210506/https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/63932622 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[FIFA Women's World Cup]] has been held every four years since [[1991 FIFA Women's World Cup|1991]]. Under the tournament's current format that was expanded in 2023, national teams vie for 31 slots in a three-year [[FIFA Women's World Cup qualification|qualification phase]], while the host nation's team enters automatically as the 32nd slot.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Russell |date=23 July 2023 |title=The Women's World Cup expanded to 32 teams this year. Has the quality suffered? |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/07/23/1189634000/fifa-womens-world-cup-expanded-to-32-teams-new-zealand-australia |publisher=[[NPR]] |accessdate=31 August 2023 |archive-date=31 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230831005059/https://www.npr.org/2023/07/23/1189634000/fifa-womens-world-cup-expanded-to-32-teams-new-zealand-australia |url-status=live }}</ref> The current champions are [[Spain women's national football team|Spain]], after winning their first title in the [[2023 FIFA Women's World Cup|2023 tournament]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Peterson |first=Anne M. |date=20 August 2023 |title=From turmoil to triumph, Spain earns its first Women's World Cup title with a 1-0 win over England |url=https://apnews.com/article/womens-world-cup-final-spain-england-match-summary-232025b71703e9acde0ae39addb16c10 |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |accessdate=31 August 2023 |archive-date=23 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230823000117/https://apnews.com/article/womens-world-cup-final-spain-england-match-summary-232025b71703e9acde0ae39addb16c10 |url-status=live }}</ref>

There has been a [[Football at the Summer Olympics|football tournament]] at every [[Summer Olympic Games]] since [[1900 Summer Olympics|1900]], except at the 1932 games in [[1932 Summer Olympics|Los Angeles]] when FIFA and the [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]] had disagreed over the status of amateur players.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1936/FTB/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417041849/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/1936/FTB/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Football at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games |work=Sports Reference |access-date=6 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.olympic.org/football-equipment-and-history?tab=1 |title=Football Equipment and History |publisher=International Olympic Committee (IOC) |access-date=4 March 2011 |archive-date=6 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140706130625/http://www.olympic.org/football-equipment-and-history?tab=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Before the inception of the World Cup, the Olympics (especially during the 1920s) were the most prestigious international event. Originally, the tournament was for amateurs only.<ref name=Wherebegan>{{cite web|url=http://access.fifa.com/en/history/history/0,3504,4,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070608215029/http://access.fifa.com/en/history/history/0%2C3504%2C4%2C00.html |archive-date=8 June 2007 |title=Where it all began |publisher=FIFA |access-date=8 June 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As professionalism spread around the world, the gap in quality between the World Cup and the Olympics widened. The countries that benefited most were the [[Soviet Bloc]] countries of [[Eastern Europe]], where top athletes were state-sponsored while retaining their status as amateurs. Between [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948]] and [[1980 Summer Olympics|1980]], 23 out of 27 Olympic medals were won by Eastern Europe, with only [[Sweden national football team|Sweden]] (gold in 1948 and bronze in 1952), [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] (bronze in 1948 and silver in 1960) and [[Japan national football team|Japan]] (bronze in 1968) breaking their dominance. For the [[1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles Games]], the [[IOC]] allowed professional players to compete. Since [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992]], male competitors must be under 23 years old, although since [[1996 Summer Olympics|1996]], three players over the age of 23 have been allowed per squad.<ref>{{cite news |title=Football: Five superstars who have won gold in the Olympics |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/football-five-superstars-who-have-won-gold-in-the-olympics |access-date=18 September 2023 |publisher=Olympics.com |archive-date=6 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606085636/https://olympics.com/en/news/football-five-superstars-who-have-won-gold-in-the-olympics |url-status=live }}</ref> A women's tournament was added in 1996; in contrast to the men's event, full international sides without age restrictions play the women's Olympic tournament.<ref>{{cite news |last=Borg |first=Simon |date=7 August 2021 |title=Olympic soccer rules, explained: How men's and women's football tournaments work in Tokyo |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/olympic-soccer-rules-men-women-tournament-tokyo/154emrauwrgxc1na5nmszrrqdf |work=[[The Sporting News]] |accessdate=1 September 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902031536/https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/olympic-soccer-rules-men-women-tournament-tokyo/154emrauwrgxc1na5nmszrrqdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Torres, Mata and Ramos Euro 2012 trophy 01.jpg|alt=|thumb|Spanish footballers [[Fernando Torres]], [[Juan Mata]], and [[Sergio Ramos]] celebrating winning the [[UEFA European Championship]] in [[UEFA Euro 2012|2012]]]]
After the World Cup, the most important international football competitions are the continental championships, which are organised by each continental confederation and contested between national teams. These are the [[UEFA European Championship|European Championship]] (UEFA), the [[Copa América]] (CONMEBOL), the [[African Cup of Nations]] (CAF), the [[Asian Cup]] (AFC), the [[CONCACAF Gold Cup]] (CONCACAF) and the [[OFC Men's Nations Cup]] (OFC).<ref name="CBC-Continentals"/> These competitions are not strictly limited to members of the continental confederations, with guest teams from other continents sometimes invited to compete.<ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Aidan |date=12 June 2019 |title=Japan, Qatar and the history of guest teams at the Copa América |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/these-football-times/2019/jun/12/copa-america-japan-qatar-strange-history-guest-teams |work=The Guardian |accessdate=1 September 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902031535/https://www.theguardian.com/football/these-football-times/2019/jun/12/copa-america-japan-qatar-strange-history-guest-teams |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[FIFA Confederations Cup]] was contested by the winners of all six continental championships, the current FIFA World Cup champions, and the country which was hosting the next World Cup. This was generally regarded as a warm-up tournament for the upcoming FIFA World Cup and did not carry the same prestige as the World Cup itself.<ref name="CBC-Continentals">{{cite news |last=Molinaro |first=John F. |date=22 May 2009 |title=Continental champions collide at the Confederations Cup |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/continental-champions-collide-at-the-confederations-cup-1.812024 |publisher=[[CBC Sports]] |accessdate=1 September 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902031535/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/continental-champions-collide-at-the-confederations-cup-1.812024 |url-status=live }}</ref> The tournament was discontinued following the [[2017 FIFA Confederations Cup|2017 edition]] with its calendar slot replaced by an expanded [[FIFA Club World Cup]].<ref>{{cite news |date=4 December 2020 |title=2021 FIFA Club World Cup to remain a seven-team tournament |url=https://theathletic.com/4229851/2020/12/04/2021-fifa-club-world-cup-to-remain-a-seven-team-tournament/ |work=[[The Athletic]] |url-access=subscription |accessdate=1 September 2023 |archive-date=2 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902031535/https://theathletic.com/4229851/2020/12/04/2021-fifa-club-world-cup-to-remain-a-seven-team-tournament/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[UEFA Nations League]] and the [[CONCACAF Nations League]] were introduced in the late 2010s to replace international [[exhibition match|friendlies]] during the two-year cycle between major tournaments.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Straus |first=Brian |date=17 November 2017 |title=How CONCACAF League of Nations Alters Competitive Landscape for USA, Region |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/11/17/concacaf-league-nations-friendlies-usa-mexico |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |accessdate=31 August 2023 |archive-date=1 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901044244/https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/11/17/concacaf-league-nations-friendlies-usa-mexico |url-status=live }}</ref>

The most prestigious competitions in club football are the respective continental championships, which are generally contested between national champions, for example, the [[UEFA Champions League]] in Europe and the [[Copa Libertadores]] in South America. The winners of each continental competition contest the [[FIFA Club World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Organising Committee strengthens FIFA Club World Cup format |publisher=FIFA |url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/japan2007/releases/newsid=570740.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080531094715/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/clubworldcup/japan2007/releases/newsid%3D570740.html |archive-date=31 May 2008 |date=14 August 2007 |access-date=7 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>